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Melo AI, Zempoalteca R, Ramirez-Funez G, Anaya-Hernández A, Porras MG, Aguirre-Benítez EL, González Del Pliego M, Armando PT, Jiménez-Estrada I. Role of tactile stimulation during the preweaning period on the development of the peripheral sensory sural (SU) nerve in adult artificially reared female rat. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22486. [PMID: 38739111 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Maternal deprivation, as a result of the artificial rearing (AR) paradigm, disturbs electrophysiological and histological characteristics of the peripheral sensory sural (SU) nerve of infant and adult male rats. Such changes are prevented by providing tactile or social stimulation during isolation. AR also affects the female rat's brain and behavior; however, it is unknown whether this early adverse experience also alters their SU nerve development or if tactile stimulation might prevent these possible developmental effects. To assess these possibilities, the electrophysiological and histological characteristics of the SU nerve from adult diestrus AR female rats that: (i) received no tactile stimulation (AR group), (ii) received tactile stimulation in the anogenital and body area (AR-Tactile group), or (iii) were mother reared (MR group) were determined. We found that the amplitude, but not the area, of the evoked compound action potential response in SU nerves of AR rats was lower than those of SU nerves of MR female rats. Tactile stimulation prevented these effects. Additionally, we found a reduction in the outer diameter and myelin thickness of axons, as well as a large proportion of axons with low myelin thickness in nerves of AR rats compared to the nerves of the MR and AR-Tactile groups of rats; however, tactile stimulation only partially prevented these effects. Our data indicate that maternal deprivation disturbs the development of sensory SU nerves in female rats, whereas tactile stimulation partially prevents the changes generated by AR. Considering that our previous studies have shown more severe effects of AR on male SU nerve development, we suggest that sex-associated factors may be involved in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Rene Zempoalteca
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Ramirez-Funez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Mexico
| | - Arely Anaya-Hernández
- Centro de Investigación en Genética y Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Mexico
| | - Mercedes G Porras
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | | | - Pérez-Torres Armando
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Martínez-Álvarez V, Segura-Alegría B, Rodríguez-Torres EE, Porras MG, Aguirre-Benítez E, González Del Pliego M, Hudson R, Quiroz-González S, Melo AI, Jiménez-Estrada I. Mother and sibling interactions during the preweaning period influence myelination and impulse propagation of the sensory sural nerve in the adult rat. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22316. [PMID: 36282737 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
To investigate whether mother and sibling interactions during the preweaning period influence the histological and electrophysiological characteristics of the sensory sural nerve (SUn) in the adult rat, litters composed of 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 male pups (P) were formed and the pups routinely weighed until postnatal day 60 (PND60). At PND9, 3P and 6P litters showed greater body weight than pups without siblings or from 9P or 12P litters, and such differences in weight were maintained until adulthood. Analysis of maternal licking at PND8 and 9 showed that pups from large litters received fewer licks than pups from small size litters. At PND60, SUn of rats from 6P and 9P litters had greater compound action potential (CAP) amplitude and a higher proportion of axons with large myelin thickness than nerves from rats of 1P, 3P, or 12P litters. SUn of heaviest rats from 9P and 12P litters had greater CAP area and myelination than the lightest rats from the same litters. We propose that a complex interplay of sensory, social, and nutritional factors arising from mother and littermate interactions during the preweaning period influence myelination and the propagation of action potentials in the SUn of adult rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Martínez-Álvarez
- Depto. Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, CINVESTAV, IPN, Mexico City, Mexico.,Depto. Biología, FES-Iztacala, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV- Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico City, Mexico
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3
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Tactile stimulation prevents disruptions in male rat copulatory behavior induced by artificial rearing. Int J Impot Res 2022; 35:132-139. [PMID: 35087206 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-022-00530-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Early life social interactions in gregarious mammals provide an important source of stimulation required for the development of species-typical behaviors. In the present study, complete deprivation of maternal and littermate contact through artificial rearing was used to examine the role of early social stimulation on copulatory behavior and the ejaculate in adult rats. We found that artificially reared naïve male rats were sexually motivated; nevertheless, they did not acquire the level of sexual experience that typically occurs during copulatory training. Disrupted expression of sexual experience of artificially reared rats was demonstrated by an inconsistent pattern of ejaculatory behavior across training tests. Artificial tactile stimulation applied during isolation prevented this disruption and rats achieved ejaculation in most copulatory tests. Despite the irregularity of ejaculatory behavior in isolated rats, their sperm count and seminal plug were similar to control maternally reared (sexually experienced) and artificially-reared rats that received tactile stimulation. These results suggest that tactile sensory information provided by the mother and/or littermates to the offspring is crucial for the development of copulatory behavior. The absence of social and/or tactile stimulation during early life compromises the ability of male rats to gain sexual experience in adulthood.
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Threshold for copulation-induced analgesia varies according to the ejaculatory endophenotypes in rats. Int J Impot Res 2020; 34:195-202. [PMID: 33328617 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-020-00390-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Analgesia may be modulated by multiple internal and external factors. In prior studies, copulatory-induced analgesia was demonstrated using the vocalization threshold to tail shock (VTTS) in male and female rats. Three ejaculatory endophenotypes have been characterized in male Wistar rats based upon their ejaculation latency (EL). Since intromissions and ejaculations produce analgesia, and these copulatory patterns are performed with different frequency depending on the male's ejaculatory endophenotype, we hypothesized that copulation-induced analgesia would vary in relation to these endophenotypes. In the present study, we used three groups according to the EL (medians): rapid ejaculators (236 s; n = 21), intermediate ejaculators (663.2 s; n = 20) and sluggish ejaculators (1582.2 s; n = 8). Our aim was to evaluate whether copulation-induced analgesia is related to the ejaculatory endophenotypes during two consecutive ejaculatory series (EJS). In the first EJS, the VTTS of the rapid ejaculators was significantly higher than that of intermediate and sluggish rats. At the onset of the second EJS, the VTTS of the rapid and intermediate ejaculators was significantly higher than that of the sluggish rats. No differences in VTTS were observed during the first or second post-ejaculatory intervals among the three groups. These findings provide evidence that the more intromissions that occurred per unit time, the higher was the level of analgesia.
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Paniagua N, Girón R, Goicoechea C, Martín-Fontelles MI, Bagues A. Maternal separation affects the electrophysiological properties of Aδ-fibres and nociceptive behaviours in male and female mice. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:538-546. [PMID: 32643786 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Early life adverse effects have been associated with an increased risk of suffering pain syndromes in adulthood. Although animal models are of great importance to study modifications of pain sensitivity, up to date the results obtained are contradicting due to the varied methodologies used. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to characterise, as a whole, possible modifications in visceral and somatic nociceptive responses in male and female ICR mice, submitted to two different protocols of maternal separation (MS), and possible modifications in the electrophysiological properties of peripheral nociceptive Aδ-primary afferents. MAIN METHODS Male and female mice were submitted to 3 or 4-8 hr of daily MS from postnatal day (PND) 2-17 and early weaned. On PND 67 von Frey, hot plate and writhing tests were performed. Afterwards electrophysiological recordings were carried out, using the in vitro skin-saphenous nerve preparation in males. KEY FINDINGS The short separation protocol of MS did not modify nociceptive sensitivity; but when mice were separated from their dams for the long separation, mechanical pain thresholds were modified in male and female mice and visceral nociception was increased in female mice. Electrophysiological recordings showed that cutaneous Aδ-fibres were sensitised and their mechanotransduction properties were altered in both MS protocols. SIGNIFICANCE Although MS increases the activity and the mechanosensitivity of cutaneous Aδ-afferent fibres at both short and long periods of separation, only the longer interval of time induces nociceptive sensitivity alterations during adulthood. These results highlight the possible influence of a stress free environment during childhood to reduce nociceptive alterations in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Paniagua
- Área de Farmacología, Nutrición y Bromatología, Dpto. C.C. Básicas de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Unidad Asociada CSIC-IQM, High Performance Research Group in Experimental Pharmacology (PHARMAKOM), Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Rocío Girón
- Área de Farmacología, Nutrición y Bromatología, Dpto. C.C. Básicas de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Unidad Asociada CSIC-IQM, High Performance Research Group in Experimental Pharmacology (PHARMAKOM), Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Carlos Goicoechea
- Área de Farmacología, Nutrición y Bromatología, Dpto. C.C. Básicas de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Unidad Asociada CSIC-IQM, High Performance Research Group in Experimental Pharmacology (PHARMAKOM), Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Mª Isabel Martín-Fontelles
- Área de Farmacología, Nutrición y Bromatología, Dpto. C.C. Básicas de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Unidad Asociada CSIC-IQM, High Performance Research Group in Experimental Pharmacology (PHARMAKOM), Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Ana Bagues
- Área de Farmacología, Nutrición y Bromatología, Dpto. C.C. Básicas de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Unidad Asociada CSIC-IQM, High Performance Research Group in Experimental Pharmacology (PHARMAKOM), Alcorcón, Spain
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Abstract
Abstract
Lactation is a critical period during which maternal nutritional and environmental challenges affect milk composition and, therefore, organ differentiation, structure, and function in offspring during the early postnatal period. Evidence to date shows that lactation is a vulnerable time during which transient insults can have lasting effects, resulting in altered health outcomes in offspring in adult life. Despite the importance of the developmental programming that occurs during this plastic period of neonatal life, there are few comprehensive reviews of the multiple challenges—especially to the dam—during lactation. This review presents milk data from rodent studies involving maternal nutritional challenges and offspring outcome data from studies involving maternal manipulations during lactation. Among the topics addressed are maternal nutritional challenges and the effects of litter size and artificial rearing on offspring metabolism and neural and endocrine outcomes. The lactation period is an opportunity to correct certain functional deficits resulting from prenatal challenges to the fetus, but, if not personalized, can also lead to undesirable outcomes related to catch up-growth and overnutrition.
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García Fernández HL, Chavira-Ramírez DR, González-Mariscal G. Long-lasting behavioral and neuroendocrine changes provoked in rabbits by cancelling a single nursing bout in early lactation. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:988-998. [PMID: 31211424 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
To restore estrus in lactating doe rabbits, nursing was prevented on lactation day 10 and allowed again from day 12 onward. This "biostimulation" procedure, used to accelerate reproduction, allows kit survival despite a 48 hr fast. Yet, the consequences of "biostimulation" on their psychobiological and neuroendocrine development are largely unknown. Therefore, we determined, in adult males and females, tested in the morning or afternoon: corticosteroid secretion (baseline and reactive), sexual behavior, and responses in six tests measuring stress/anxiety. The latter were not affected by maternal deprivation or time of testing in either sex. The lordosis quotient was reduced in deprived does (relative to controls), an effect eliminated when only non-kins (of both groups) were compared. Deprived males showed altered sexual behavior, evidenced by a large number of mounts not culminating in ejaculation. Corticosterone and cortisol secretion increased (relative to baseline) following i.m. saline in all groups, but the magnitude of the response was affected by maternal deprivation, time of day, and sex. Results indicate that particular behaviors and reactivity to stress have different thresholds regarding the effects of mother-litter separation in early lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilda L García Fernández
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México.,Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - David R Chavira-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán", Mexico City, México
| | - Gabriela González-Mariscal
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
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8
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Zempoalteca R, Porras MG, Moreno-Pérez S, Ramirez-Funez G, Aguirre-Benítez EL, González Del Pliego M, Mariscal-Tovar S, Mendoza-Garrido ME, Hoffman KL, Jiménez-Estrada I, Melo AI. Early postnatal development of electrophysiological and histological properties of sensory sural nerves in male rats that were maternally deprived and artificially reared: Role of tactile stimulation. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 78:351-362. [PMID: 29197166 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early adverse experiences disrupt brain development and behavior, but little is known about how such experiences impact on the development of the peripheral nervous system. Recently, we found alterations in the electrophysiological and histological characteristics of the sensory sural (SU) nerve in maternally deprived, artificially reared (AR) adult male rats, as compared with maternally reared (MR) control rats. In the present study, our aim was to characterize the ontogeny of these alterations. Thus, male pups of four postnatal days (PND) were (1) AR group, (2) AR and received daily tactile stimulation to the body and anogenital region (AR-Tactile group); or (3) reared by their mother (MR group). At PND 7, 14, or 21, electrophysiological properties and histological characteristics of the SU nerves were assessed. At PND 7, the electrophysiological properties and most histological parameters of the SU nerve did not differ among MR, AR, and AR-Tactile groups. By contrast, at PND 14 and/or 21, the SU nerve of AR rats showed a lower CAP amplitude and area, and a significant reduction in myelin area and myelin thickness, which were accompanied by a reduction in axon area (day 21 only) compared to the nerves of MR rats. Tactile stimulation (AR-Tactile group) partially prevented most of these alterations. These results suggest that sensory cues from the mother and/or littermates during the first 7-14 PND are relevant for the proper development and function of the adult SU nerve. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 351-362, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Zempoalteca
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | | | - Suelem Moreno-Pérez
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México.,Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | - Gabriela Ramirez-Funez
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México.,Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | | | | | | | | | - Kurt Leroy Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | | | - Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
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Aguirre-Benítez EL, Porras MG, Parra L, González-Ríos J, Garduño-Torres DF, Albores-García D, Avendaño A, Ávila-Rodríguez MA, Melo AI, Jiménez-Estrada I, Mendoza-Garrido ME, Toriz C, Diaz D, Ibarra-Coronado E, Mendoza-Ángeles K, Hernández-Falcón J. Disruption of behavior and brain metabolism in artificially reared rats. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1413-1429. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mercedes G. Porras
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
| | - Leticia Parra
- Departamento de Anatomía, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM; México Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Arturo Avendaño
- Unidad Radiofarmacia-Ciclotrón, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM; México Mexico
| | | | - Angel I. Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apdo Postal 62. C.P. Tlaxcala, C.P; Tlaxcala 90000 México
| | - Ismael Jiménez-Estrada
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P, CDMX; México 07360 México
| | - Ma. Eugenia Mendoza-Garrido
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P, CDMX; México 07360 México
| | - César Toriz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P, CDMX; México 07360 México
| | - Daniel Diaz
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad (C3) UNAM; México México
| | - Elizabeth Ibarra-Coronado
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
| | - Karina Mendoza-Ángeles
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
| | - Jesús Hernández-Falcón
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
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González-Mariscal G, Melo AI. Bidirectional Effects of Mother-Young Contact on the Maternal and Neonatal Brains. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1015:97-116. [PMID: 29080023 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62817-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive plasticity occurs intensely during the early postnatal period through processes like proliferation, migration, differentiation, synaptogenesis, myelination and apoptosis. Exposure to particular stimuli during this critical period has long-lasting effects on cognition, stress reactivity and behavior. Maternal care is the main source of social, sensory and chemical stimulation to the young and is, therefore, critical to "fine-tune" the offspring's neural development. Mothers providing a low quantity or quality of stimulation produce offspring that will exhibit reduced cognitive performance, impaired social affiliation and increased agonistic behaviors. Transgenerational transmission of such traits occurs epigenetically, i.e., through mechanisms like DNA methylation and post-translational modification of nucleosomal histones, processes that silence or increase gene expression without affecting the DNA sequence. Reciprocally, providing maternal care profoundly affects the behavior, learning, memory and fine neuroanatomy of the adult female. Such effects are in many cases permanent and sometimes they involve the hormones of pregnancy and lactation. The above evidence supports the idea that the mother-young dyad exerts profound and permanent effects on the brains of both adult and developing organisms, respectively. Effects on the latter can be explained by the neural developmental processes taking place during the early postnatal period. In contrast, little is known about the mechanisms mediating the plasticity of the adult maternal brain. The bidirectional effects that mother and young exert on each other's brains exemplify a remarkable plasticity of this organ for organizing itself and provide an immense source of variability for adaptation and evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela González-Mariscal
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apdo Postal 62, Tlaxcala, Tlax, 90000, Mexico.
| | - Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apdo Postal 62, Tlaxcala, Tlax, 90000, Mexico
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Kauer SD, Allmond JT, Belnap SC, Brumley MR. Maternal behavior influences development of a reflexive action pattern in the newborn rat. Dev Psychobiol 2016; 58:1043-1054. [PMID: 27279291 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the effect of maternal behavior on the expression and postnatal development of a reflexive behavior in rat pups. In neonatal rats, the leg extension response (LER) is a bilateral hyperextension of the hindlimbs in response to maternal anogenital licking (AGL). Past research has found that intranasal application of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4 ) to the dam induces hyponosmia, thereby reducing the incidence of AGL. In this study, pregnant dams received intranasal application of air (control), distilled water (control), or ZnSO4 on the day before birth and every other day thereafter until postnatal day 9 (P9). The LER was experimentally evoked in pups, using a vibrotactile device, at P1, P5, or P10. Pups born to ZnSO4 -treated dams showed significantly shorter bilateral LER durations and significantly smaller ankle angles than pups born to control dams. Reduction of overall maternal AGL approached significance, and afternoon AGL was significantly reduced. These data suggest that maternal behavior influenced development of the LER in rat pups, demonstrating the influence of maternal care on behavioral development during the perinatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra D Kauer
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho
| | - Jacob T Allmond
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho
| | - Starlie C Belnap
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
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12
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Lomanowska AM, Melo AI. Deconstructing the function of maternal stimulation in offspring development: Insights from the artificial rearing model in rats. Horm Behav 2016; 77:224-36. [PMID: 26112882 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue on "Parental Care". Maternal behavior has an important function in stimulating adequate growth and development of the young. Several approaches have been used in primates and rodents to deconstruct and examine the influence of specific components of maternal stimulation on offspring development. These approaches include observational studies of typical mother-infant interactions and studies of the effects of intermittent or complete deprivation of maternal contact. In this review, we focus on one unique approach using rats that enables the complete control of maternal variables by means of rearing rat pups artificially without contact with the mother or litter, while maintaining stable nutrition, temperature and exposure to stressful stimuli. This artificial rearing model permits the removal and controlled replacement of relevant maternal and litter stimuli and has contributed valuable insights regarding the influence of these stimuli on various developmental outcomes. It also enables the analysis of factors implicated in social isolation itself and their long-term influence. We provide an overview of the effects of artificial rearing on behavior, physiology, and neurobiology, including the influence of replacing maternal tactile stimulation and littermate contact on these outcomes. We then discuss the relevance of these effects in terms of the maternal role in regulating different aspects of offspring development and implications for human research. We emphasize that artificial rearing of rats does not lead to a global insult of nervous system development, making this paradigm useful in investigating specific developmental effects associated with maternal stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lomanowska
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Quebec City, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apdo Postal 62. C.P. Tlaxcala, Tlax. C.P. 90000, México.
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Takita M, Kikusui T. Early weaning influences short-term synaptic plasticity in the medial prefrontal-anterior basolateral amygdala pathway. Neurosci Res 2015; 103:48-53. [PMID: 26325007 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Early weaning in rodents reportedly influences behavioral and emotional traits and triggers precocious myelin formation in the anterior basolateral amygdala (aBLA; Ono et al., 2008), where prefrontal efferents terminate. We studied the correlation between behavior and the synaptic properties of the prefrontal-aBLA pathway. Open-field behaviors of adult male rats weaned at either 16 days or 30 days were measured on two consecutive days. On the first day, the rats received a slight footshock that was reportedly insufficient for fear conditioning. Electrophysiological recordings in the prefrontal-aBLA were then performed under urethane anesthesia. Without group differences in the stimulus intensity or the first evoked response, the overall paired-pulse facilitation was significantly lower in the early-weaned group from 25 to 100 ms. At the 25-ms interval, regression values between paired-pulse facilitation and locomotion on the second day were positive/insignificant and negative/significant in early- and control-weaned groups, respectively, and were statistically different between the groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Takita
- Brain Function Measurement Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan; Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
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